


In An Instant

by KrysKrossZee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Birthday, Fluff, Gay Draco Malfoy, M/M, Marriage Proposal, POV Male Character, POV Theodore Nott, POV Third Person, birthday surprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24536251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrysKrossZee/pseuds/KrysKrossZee
Summary: It's Draco's birthday but Theo is doing his best not to make a big deal about this. He has something planned for lunch, as long as they can get there, that is.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott
Comments: 12
Kudos: 29
Collections: Draco’s Birthday Bash Mini Fest





	In An Instant

**Author's Note:**

> As soon as I got my character from Draco's Den, I knew what the plot was, it was getting to know Theo that was the hard part. I've semi-fallen in love with the character I've created and I may just have to revisit him at a later date.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and a big thank you to SethWren, Mrs_Poncey, and NicoDiAngeloLover7 for betaing this story for me. I use at least two betas because I can't edit my own work ><
> 
> And a massive thank you to faeorabel for my beautiful cover art!
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

Theo was doing his best to ignore the overdramatic way Draco flopped himself down on the bed next to him. His instinct was to kick the other boy off and watch him fall to the floor, but he’d already decided he would not show the blond any attention today, at least not until later. Draco was more than used to getting his own way and today Theo decided he would drive him crazy. This was pretty easy to do. All he had to do was ignore anything and everything the blond did or said.  
There was a method to Theo’s madness. He wasn’t just doing this for fun but because he had a plan - though winding Draco up was fun to do, it wasn’t something he was good at. All he really had in his arsenal was to just ignore him and hope that was enough.  
He heard Draco let out a groan as he didn’t get the reaction he wanted and he had to try extremely hard not to let a smile flicker onto his lips. He realised now that neither of them would make it to lunch like this and he wondered if he could change their reservation to brunch instead. A champagne breakfast was still a classy affair, wasn't it?  
Today had to go perfectly, and that meant it had to remain a sophisticated occasion. They both came from respectable families - which Theo still believed despite the disgrace Draco's father had brought to the Malfoy name during the war. That part wasn't important. The important part was proper handling even in unconventional situations.  
It was unheard of for old families to allow their sole heirs to date people not specifically chosen by their parents, but he and Draco were trying to overcome that. Draco was lucky his mother had spent the last couple of years rejecting the old ways and basically told Draco that he could love who he wanted, how he wanted.  
Theo often wished his own parents would be so liberal. They had nothing against him loving another man - that wasn't unheard of, not by a long shot. No, their biggest concern was that they may not get an heir from Theo, someone who would continue the Nott name. He tried to inform them. To reassure them that times were changing, and things were different now. They appeared to have bought for now - but as far as he was concerned heirs were a distant future Theo hadn't even considered yet.  
He had to get the 'yes' first. All of this worry was pointless if Draco didn't want to marry him in the first place. He was sure the blond wanted to spend the rest of his life with him though. He could see light pass over Draco's eyes every time he caught him watching him, a light that reminded him of the way he felt himself.

Somehow they made it through the morning. Well, Theo made it through the morning; Draco had gone off in a huff when he hadn't got what he wanted. Theo heard him grumbling about how this wasn't fair and that it was his birthday as he made his way to the study.  
Theo had let him stew for a while before he'd gone to shower. Wrapped in a towel he went to find Draco to tell him he needed to get dressed.  
"Why?" The blond asked from under an old book that he had been leafing through.  
Theo could hear how annoyed he was, but that was only fuel for him at this point. "We're meeting my parents." He told Draco - which earned him a groan. He knew there was nothing he disliked more than having to pretend to be prim and proper. "So shower and put on something nice." He told him with a smile.  
He headed back through to the bedroom to get the suit he’d been saving especially for this occasion. The ring was in a box hidden in the inner pocket, where he knew it would be safe. It was very rare Draco looked in his wardrobe, let alone went through the inner pockets of his clothes. He hadn't felt he'd needed to go to great lengths to hide it.  
When he heard the water turn on, he took the small box out of his pocket and turned it over in his hands. The box itself was a work of art, made from the same Hawthorn wood as Draco's wand, with an arctic fox and a snow hare engraved onto the top. He ran his finger over the wood before he opened the lid to sneak one last look at the emerald and silver ring inside. He hoped that next time he looked at it, it would be on his fiance’s finger. He smiled to himself before he heard the water turn off and shoved the box as deep in his pocket as possible. He couldn't fall at the last hurdle when he'd done so well at setting this all up.  
He smoothed down his suit before making a show of choosing the perfect tie as Draco came back into the room, though of course he’d had his entire outfit picked out since he'd started planning this day three months ago. He watched Draco out of the corner of his eye, letting himself quietly marvel at the blond's sculpted body, and once again he was reminded of just how much he loved this man.

There were upsides to being a Nott; being part of an old family meant old money, and old money often meant he was able to get things other people couldn’t, for example, like reserving a private room, in one of the most expensive restaurants. He didn't use his money to impress Draco - there would be no point considering the Malfoy money was more substantial than his. He did, however like that he could use money to keep them out of the public eye, away from unwanted stares of people he really couldn't be bothered with.  
The ambience music was the only sound that filled the room. Draco was on edge, still waiting for Theo's parents to appear, and Theo was extremely nervous which he hadn't actually factored into his plans at all. His palms were sweaty as he knocked back an entire glass of wine. He had planned to wait until dessert but knew that neither of them would be able to wait that long.  
Draco relaxed a little as the starters arrived instead of Theo's parents, and this at least helped Theo to calm down. He couldn't eat though, not until he managed to get the most important question of his life out and into the open. He took the box out as surreptitiously as he could and set it down on the table, letting his fingers knock against it for a moment or two longer while he summoned the courage he needed.  
"Draco." He began, his voice soft. "Happy birthday."   
Draco's eyes met his gaze over the single red candle lit in the middle of their table. The surprise in them was evident and it made Theo smile despite his nerves. He'd managed to pull the wool successfully over his boyfriend's eyes.   
"I...Thank you." He whispered as a smile played over his lips. "I thought you'd forgotten."  
"I could never forget, my love." Theo whispered as he picked the box and set it in the middle of the table. "I just wanted to surprise you." He took a breath as he opened the lid. "Draco Malfoy, will you marry me?"  
Draco looked ready to launch himself across the table at Theo, but fortunately, he had the good sense to walk around. Within moments he had his arms wrapped around him and was kissing him deeply.  
"I'll take that as a yes." Theo laughed against his lips. He pulled Draco down onto his lap. This would hopefully be a birthday that Draco never forgot. 


End file.
